Button-setting machine.



No. 740,200. PATENTED SEPT. 29', 1903.

E. B. STIMPSON. BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED (HIKE 13, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: Z%W

THE NORMS Hm: co. mmzxu'ma. wssmucron. n. c.

No. 140,200. PATENTBD SEPT. 29, 1903. B. B. STIMPSON.

BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

LPPLIGATIOH IILBD- JUNE 13. 002.

" no MODEL. 4 sHnn'ra-sasn'r a.

my 3. O

' fl H at:

WiTNESS-ES'. INVENTOR BY E v 7 ATTORNEY me NORRIS PETERS so, mm'o-umqnwnswmmom u. c.

No. 740,200. I PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

E. B. STIMPSOR. BUTTON SETTING MACHINE. nrmonmn mm: was 1a, 1002.

4 SERIES-SHEET H0 IODBL.

l NVENTOR WITNESSES:

moauav m: NORRIS Perms co. mmuumu" wnsmusmu. n c,

UNITED STATES- i atented eptembei" 29, 1903.

EDWIN BALL STIMPSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUTTON-SETTING MACHINE.

srn'cxmonrron forming part of Letters Patent No.-740,200, dated September 29, 1903.

Serial No. 111,437. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN BALL STIMPSQN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of NewYork,bor0ugh of Brooklyn,county of Kings, and State of New York,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Setting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention belongs to the class of machines wherein buttons or similar devices are fed from a reservoir or holder down to the point where they are to be set and eyelets for securing them to the fabric are fed from another holder down to the same point. The secu ring-eyelets are set and clenched by means, operated either by foot or by power.-

The general construction of the machine shown and described herein is the'same as or similar to that illustrated in the Letters Patent No. 707,274, granted to me August 19, 1902, and this general construction is shown and described in this application merely for the purpose of making more clear the invention herein claimed and its application to a machine of the kind illustrated in my said Letters Patent.

The novel features of the present invention will be hereinafter set forth, and care fully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower part of the machine, showing the treadle and pedestal only. The upper part of the machine in which the present invention resides is shown in the other views. Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations of the upper part ofthe machine," the former showing the parts in their normal position, the button reservoir or box being seen in section and the latter showing the parts in the position they assu me when clenching the button-securing eyelet. detail view which will be hereinafter described. Fig. 5 is a sectional front elevation of the setting mechanism, and Fig. 5" is an enlarged detail view of the clenching devices. Fig. 6 is an axial section of the lower part of the button-track, showing the feeder; and

Fig. 6 shows the pusher detached. Fig. 7

is a plan of the lower part of the button track Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the button reservoir or box,

showing the distributing-wheel therein. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the slide-block carrying the anvil, taken at line m in Fig. 2. Y Referring, primarily, to the general or principal views, 1 designates the pedestal and frame of the machine, which may be of castiron and in one or more parts. In Fig.1, 2 is the treadle lever, provided at its front end with a treadle 3 and at its rear end with a weight 4. It may also have a spring 5 at the front to assist the counterweight and an adjustable limiting-stop 6. From the rear arm of the treadle-lever an operatingrod 7 extends to and is coupled to a rocking link 8, pivoted at its lower end to a bracket on the main frame. The couplingstud 9 of the rod 7 engages an angular slot 10 in the lower end or arm of an upright main lever 11, fulcrumed at a; on the frame, and

the upper arm of the lever 11 is coupled by a .link 12to the knuckle'of a toggle 13, which operates a reciprocating plunger. 14, guided in a head 15 on the frame. The plunger is seen in full lines in Fig. 5. 16 is the box which contains the buttons to be set. These are fed to the setting-point by a track 17, the delivery end of which is situated directly in the path of the reciprocating plunger 14, so that the terminal bu tton in the track will be alined therewith. Figs. 6, 7, and 7 show the delivery end of the track 17, which is closed at, its end by a bar 17 and has a lateral outlet at 17 in Fig. 7 for the terminal button .2 to clear itself from the track after it has been 'secured to the goods. The terminal button is kept in place with its central aperture alined with the plunger 14 by means of a leyer 18, fulcrumed on the track and provided with a stud 18, which extends down into the way in the track through a slot 18", so that it may bear on the periphery of the terminal button and through the medium of a spring 19 press the said button up tothe end stop or bar 17*. The stud 18 is so placedor disposed as to offer also a yielding resistance to the escape of the button laterally from the track at the outlet 17". The form of the button adapted to be set by the machine is a known one and is suificiently illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. Figs. 6, 6, and7illustrate a device for automatically feeding the buttons one by one down to the delivery end of the track 17 as they are set and removed. The inclination of the track has usually been relied on to feed the buttons down by gravity; but as they are quite lightand the wedging of one fast in the track will stop all behind'or' above it it has been found desirable to provide a positive means for feeding them, and this means will now be described. The track inclines or pitches down quite steeply from the box or holder until it reaches nearly the proper level and then sweeps outward in a curve until at its free end, Fig. 6, it is substantially horizontal. On the track at the foot of the incline is mounted'a fixed slotted guide 20, in which is mounted aslide 21, which is capable of moving in the guide longitudinally'of the track. To the lower end of this slide is hinged a pusher 22, (see Fig. 6%) which has at its lower free end a prong or tooth 22* to engage by gravity the hole in the center of the button in the track, as seen in Fig. 6. As shown in this figure, the pusher engages when advanced the third button from the lower end of the track; but this is not important. Figs. 6 and 7 show the pusher and slide advanced by the spring 23 in feeding thev buttons forward or to the setting-point. When the treadle is depressed for setting a button and the lever ll is rocked, thus straightening the toggle 13 through the link 12, as in Fig. 3, a short pendent lever 24, coupled to the main lever 11 bya link 25, engages one branch of a cross-bar 26 on the slide 21, the other branch forming a point of attachment for the feed-spring 23. So long as the lever 2t and spring 23 are adapted to act on and move the slide, one to retract it and the other to advance it, the specific construction is not important. The extent of movement may equal the diameter of a button, and as the pusher is drawn back or retracted the prong on the pusher rises and wipes over the button in the manner of a gravity-pawl, but in advancing, under the influence of the spring 23, the prong engages the button and pushes it forward. Thus the feeding movement is non-positive, so as to avoid breakage or injury. The button-box 16 has an upper chamber or hopper, which is separated from the main or distributing chamber of the box by a partition 16, having in it an aperture 16*, through which the buttons pass in regulated quantity into the main lower chamber, and in the latter chamber is rotatably mounted a button-segregating wheel 2-7. The main chamber is semicircular at its lower end, and the wheel conforms to this curve; but about the'wheel and exterior to the lower side of the chamber is an annular covered track 28, which merges into the button-track 17 at its lower side, where it is exterior to the chamber and crosses the said chamber at its upper part. The wheel 27 is elevated above the bottom of the chamber enough to allow the flat heads of the buttons to pass freely under it, and it has in its under side at regular distances apart radial ways or grooves 27, which permit the necks of the buttons to pass. This construction compels the buttons to pass out to the track always with their necks upward. The wheel 27 rotates intermittently in the direction of the arrow seen in Fig. 8, the rotation being effected by means of a pawl-and-ratchet device 29, actuated by a link 30, coupled to the main lever 11. Thus every vibration of this lever imparts an intermittent rotative movement to the wheel 27. The purpose of the annular track 28 is to provide a clear path for the buttons which have passed only part way out from under the wheel 27 and may be carried around withitasitrotates continuouslyin one direction. As the buttons so carried around reach the upper side of the wheel they may fall back inside under the influence of gravity; but if they do not there is room for them to pass entirely about the wheel. This device prevents clogging or choking.

The mechanism now to be described is substantially the same as that in my said Patent No. 707,274 and will not, therefore, require extended description.

31 designates the eyelet-box; 32, its track. These are carried bya slide-bar 33, mounted to slide in bearings 34: on the frame. The eyelets in the box are agitated or shaken up by a brush in the box (not shown) actuated by a pawl-and-ratchet device 35 or any suitable means actuated by a link 36.

The operating-rod 7 acts through the stud 9 to operatethelever 11 by impinging on a shoulder 10 in the slot 10, and when the lever 11 is by this means swung far enough to straighten the toggle 13 the stud 9 wipes over the shoulder 10 and plays along the slot beyond. Coupled to the rod 7 at the stud 9 isa link 37, coupled atits other end toavertically-slidable block 38, mounted in a guide 39 on the frame. This block has set in its upper end, directly under the plunger 14, a tubular anvil 40, up through which projects a spindle 41', backed by a yielding spring 42. Mounted in bores in the block 38 are two column-like supports 43, which carry the work-bed 44. Down the respective sides of the block 38 extend slots 45, Fig. 3, opening to the respective supports 13, and pivotally attached to the respective supports through the slots are toggle-plates 46. When the block 38 is depressed, as in Fig. 2, the columns or supports are upheld by the toggleplates bearing obliquely or sidewise in a recess on the top of the guide 39, a stud on the inner face of the oblong toggle-plate engaging a lateral branch 45 of the slot 45; but when the block 38 starts to move upward the stud is cammed into the main slot 45, thus turning the toggle-plate to the upright position seen in Fig. 3. The effect of this is to elevate the work-bed 14 at the beginning of the upstroke and cause it to press the goods or material thereon to which the button is to be attached firmly up against the under side of the button-track 17. As the it comes in contact with the plunger.

' reason block 38 continues to move upward the spindle 41 encounters and runs up through an eyelet in the extreme end of the eyelet-track 32. The lower end of the slide-bar 33 has a connection with a lever 47 on the frame. This lever47 has at its end nearest the block 38 two jaws 48 and 49, adapted to be engaged by a stud 50 on the block 38, which takes between said jaws when the block is depressed. \Vhen the link 37 elevates the block 38, the stud 50 engages the upper jaw of the lever and by rocking the latter moves upward and backward the eyelet-track. This occurs just after thespindle 41 has engaged the terminal eyelet in the track, and the movement disengages this eyelet. In the meantime the plunger 14 has been driven downward through the terminal button in the track 17, and the goods (y in Fig. 5) and the eyelet are carried up by the tubular anvil 40, the spindle yielding when The eyelet passes up about the plunger and through the button and is clenched. (See Fig. 5 The plunger is locked by the straightening of the toggle above, so that it cannot yield to the pressure, and a book 47 on the lever 47 engages a stud 51 on the lever ll and holds said lever in position to keep the toggle straight, as in Fig. 3. It maybe explained that when the lever 47 is rocked, as in Fig. 3, to move back the eyelet-track the parts are held against return by a lever-detent 52, provided with a spring 53. This lever-detent engages at its upper end a stud 54 in the lever 47. The means for tripping the lever-detent 52 when the block 38 descends forms a part of the present invention and will now be described. The block 38 has in its lower end a slot 38 to receive and al low room for the link 37, Fig. 9, and at one side or face of said slot is formed a camgroove 55, and in the lower end of the leverdetent 52 is a laterally-projecting stud 56, adapted under certain conditions to engage said cam-slot. When the parts are in the position seen in Fig. 3, with the block 38 elevated, theeyelet box and track are pressed back and thenotch in the upper end of the lever-detent 52 is in engagement with and under the stud 54 and upholding the lever 47. The lower end of the lever-detent 52 and the stud 56 therein will be, as seen in Fig. 3, in the path of the lower end or opening of the groove 55. Now when the block 38 descends after the setting operation as soon as the stud 50 is below the upper jaw 48 of the lever 47 the stud 56 will enter the camgroove 55, and the wall of this groove will cam out the detent from under the stud 54,

thus leaving the eyelet-track free to descend;

but as the cam-groove guides the lower end of the detent and its upper end is impinged upon by'tlie stud 54 the detent allows the track to descend gradually.

, I do not limit myself to the specific construction of the devices herein shown, as these may be varied to some extent without departing materially from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 4 1. In a machine for the purpose specified, a stationary, inclined button-box, an inclined bu tton-track to carry away buttons from said box, a rotative inclined segregating-wheel in said box, means for rotating said wheel intermittently in one direction, and an annular, covered track within said box and extending around the segregating-wheel, said annular, covered track being connected at its lower side with the main button-track and said wheel being open to receive buttons.

2. In a machine for the purpose specified, a stationary, inclined button-box, an inclined button-track connected at its upper end with said box, a hopper above said box, an apertured partition between said hopper and box,

can open segregating-wheel within the box, a

covered annular track aboutsaid segregatingwheel and connectingat its lower side with the inclined button-track, and means for rotating said wheel intermittently in one direction.

3. In a machine for the purpose specified, the button box or reservoir, an inclined track down which the buttons move in single file to the delivery end, said track having a'lateral outlet for the buttons, means for placing the buttons at the end of the track, and

means for feeding the buttons along the track past said placing means.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 11th day of June, 1902, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN BALL- STIMPSON.

Witnesses:

PETER A. Boss, WILLIAM J. FIRTH.

IOO 

